The great British weekend: the Vale of Durham

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On first inspection, the National Railway Museum at Shildon in County Durham —
known as “Locomotion” — did not exactly set the pulse racing. A gritty car
park with a handful of vehicles sloped towards the main building: a
dull-looking warehouse. Rain spat down. We drew to a halt and ventured forth
across a grim yard ... and were in for a revelation.

Inside, we found ourselves in a stunning space packed to the rafters with
dazzlingly shiny old trains. Teak carriages polished to perfection (some
containing plush royal compartments in which Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
rode) were lined along corridors with